Door-operating mechanism



Feb. 1 7,, 1 931. U H 1,792,809

. noon OPERATING mscmmrsm File d Marh 21. .1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'INVENTOR d6 13a n rcb, Y 4W ATTORNEY Feb. 17, 1931. J. BURCH DOOROPERATING MECHANISM Filed March 21, 1928 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORQ7572)? ,Burcfi,

ATTORNEY TATES ar a s JOHN BURCH, or spam, onneon DOOR-OFEBATINGMECHANISM Application filed March 231, 1928. Serial No. 253,433.

My invention relates to improvements in door operating mechanism andmore particularly to means for opening and closing the doors of garagesand the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide mechanical means foropening and closing the doors of garages which is operable at a remotedistance therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide means of theabove-mentioned character which is simple and durable in construction,readily installed in the conventional type of garage, reliable andeflicient in operation and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, forming apart of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employedto designate like parts throughout thesame,

Fig. 1, is a perspective view of a garage with my device installed,

Fig. 2, is a longitudinal section of a garage with my device installed,

Fig. 3, is a perspective view of the mechanism,

Fig. 4, is Fig. 2,

Fig. 5, is a section taken on lines 5 of Fig. 2, and,

Fig. 6, is a detail view of the conne ion between the operating rod andspreading links of the mechanism.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration, 1 have shown apreferred ema section taken on lines 44 of bodiment of my invention, thenumeral 5 denotes a conventional type of garage having the usualswinging doors 5, at the front of the garage and a side door 7.

A beam 8 disposed longitudinally and can trally of the garage extendsthrougl slot 9 in the front wall 10 the garage and is attached thereto,by diverging brace bars 11. the converging ends of which are connectedto the beam by a bolt 12 and the opposite ends are connected to thefront wall on opposite sides of the beam by bolts 13. A pair of pulleys14 are suspended from the inner end of the beam 8, at spaced intervals,by

U-shaped straps 15, connected to the beam 8 r by bolts 16. An operatingrod 17, extends through the straps 15 and is supported by the pulleys14. The inner end of the rod 1? is bent downwardly at right angles, asat 13, the bent end extending through alined openings in theover-lapping ends of the spreader bars 19. The outer ends of the bars 19are pivotally connected as at 20, to brackets 21, respectively attachedto each door of the garage by screws 22. The inner ends of the bars 19are each provided with a series of openings 23, so the spreader bars maybe adjusted to open the doors at any angle desired. From the foregoingit is seen that when'the operating rod is moved forward, the spreaderbars cause the doors to swing outwardly to an open position and uponretraction of the red the doors swing inwardly to a closed position.

The means for operating the closing and opening of the doors consists ofa drum 24,

supported by a bracket attached to a post 26, positioned aiongside ofthe drive-way leading to the garage, at a remote distance from thegarage. The drum is journaled in the post and bracket and is providedwith a handle 27 for turning the drum. Cables 28 and 29 are connected tothe drum and are adapted to be wound thereon in opposite directions. Thecables extend upwardly, passing through pulleys 39 attached to the upperend of the post, as at 31, and through pulleys 32, attached to the sideof the beam 8, as at 33, and into the garage through an opening in thefront wall. The free extremity of the cable 29 is connected to the eye34, formed at the inner. end of the operating rod 17 and thus it is seenthat when the cable 29 is wound uponthe drum 24, the operating rod isdrawn forward. As more clearly shown in Fig. 4, a pair of pulleys and 36are journaled on the shaft 37, extending through the beam 8,intermediate straps 15, the ends of the shaft being fixed in the arms 38of the U-shaped bar '39. The pulleys are arranged one on each side ofthe beam, and the cable 28, extends over and under the pulley 35,havingits free end connected to the loop 40, formed in the spring washer41, secured on the bent end of the operating rod by the nut 42. hen thecable 28 is wound upon the drum 24, it causes the spreader bars tocollapse, moving the doors to a closed position.

lVhen the garage is provided with a side door, a second drum 43 ismounted on the rear wall 44 of the garage, having one end journaled inthe wall and the other end ournaled in the bracket 45. Cables 46 and 47are connected to the drum 43 and are adapted to be wound thereon inopposite directions. The cables extend upwardly and through the pulleys48, supported by the eye 49, attached to the wall above the drum. Thecable 46 has its free end attached to the eye 34 of the operating rod 17and serves to retract the rod when the cable is wound upon the drum. Thecable 47 passes over the pulley 36 and rearwardly, also being connectedto the eye 34 of the operating rod. This cable moves the operating rodforwardly when wound upon the drum 43. A brace bar 50 has one endconnected to the front wall of the garage on the outside, as at 51, itsopposite end being connected with the beam 8, adjacent its forward end,as at 52. The outer flange 53 of each of the drums 24 and 43 areprovided with a series of openings 54, adapted to aline with the opening55 provided in the brackets supporting the drums, through which a lock,56 may be inserted, for locking the doors in a closed or open position.

In use, a garage provided with my equipment, will enable the driver ofan automobile, when he desires to enter the garage, to open the doorswithout having to get out of the automobile. The drum 24 is positionedso as to be easily accessible to the reach of the driver from the seatof the automobile and upon winding the cable 29 on the drum, theoperating rod 17 is pulled forward, which actuates the spreader bars 19,to swing the doors of the garage outwardly to open position. Afterentering the garage, the driver can leave through the side door 7 andthe doors of the garage can be closed by winding the cable 46 on thedrum 43 at the rear of the garage. The doors may be opened and closedthrough operating either of the drums 24 and 43, which may be positionedat any convenient place.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown. anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatcertain changes in the shape, size and arrangement of the parts may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope ofthe subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. The combination with a structure having swinging doors, of a beamdisposed centrally and longitudinally of said structure,

spaced pulleys suspended beneath said beam, a longitudinal movable rodloosely supported by said pulleys having its forward end bent downwardlyat right angles, and movable to a point beyond the front wall of thestructure, spreader bars pivotally connected with said doors, said barshaving their free ends disposed in overlapping relation and pro- -videdwith a series of openings adapted to register, to receive the bent endof said rod and means operable ata remote distance for moving said rodforward and backward.

The combination with a structure having swinging doors, of a beamdisposed centrally and longitudinally of said structure, p-s dependingfrom said beam at intervals, pulleys journaled in said 7 a longitudinalmovable rod mat ending til h said straps and adapted to ride on saidpulleys, said rod having its forward end downwardly at right angles, andmovable to a point beyond the front wall of the structure, spreader barspivot-ally connected with said doors, having their free ends disposed inoverlapping relation, said ends hava series of spaced openings adaptedto I :ter to receive the bent end of said rod, and means operable at aremote distance for moving said rod forward and backward.

3. The combination with a structure having swinging doors, of a beamdisposed centrally and longitudinally of said structure, said beamextending beyond the front wall of the structure, spaced pulleyssuspended beneath said beam in longitudinal alinement, a rod looselysupported by said pulleys and movable longitudinally of said beam andbeyond the front wall of the structure, spreader bars pivotallyconnected to said doors having their free ends adjustably connected tothe forward end of said rod, cables connected to the forward and rearends of said rod, a pulley block at the outer end of said beam, throughwhich said cables are trained and means for pulling said cables to movesaid rod forward and backward.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN BURCH.

